Opportunity charging: A case study based on real-life public transportation scenarios

Abstract

Emissions caused by regular vehicles with fossil fuels are problematic for the environment. The integration of electric vehicles in public transportation can potentially cause zero emissions. This paper will focus on the implementation of electric buses together with inductive chargers at bus stops. These chargers will charge the bus battery while passengers enter or leave the bus. This is also known as opportunity charging. Opportunity charging could result in the easier implementation of electric buses within public transportation since it solves the range problem that electric vehicles have. The first parts of this paper will provide a discussion about the powertrain model made in Mat- lab/Simulink. The powertrain model input is the driving cycles from the Arnhem Trolleybus data. The outputs are the energy consumption during the driving cycle and the state of charge of the bus battery. The opportunity charger will then be added to the model to analyze the effects of opportunity charging on the bus. The implementation of opportunity charging increases the operational range of the electric bus, while also lowering the energy consumption. The chargers will operate at a high power rating which spans from 100 kW to 200 kW. These power ratings could cause congestion of the grid. This is why the feasibility of PV systems at bus stops is analyzed using a PV model. A PV system is insufficient to power the chargers on its own. The PV system can still provide a significant percentage of the charger power demand.